In response to Allison, and commenting upon Jack's query re: proportion
of volunteers who are eventually hired...
I've just had the good fortune to hire a former student. Each semester I
supervise at least two graduate student assistants, perhaps a volunteer
or two, and special projects by museum studies students.
As I reflect upon the dozens of students I've come to know via these
various approaches, from a prospective *employer* standpoint, it is
fairly simple for me to single out the few I would bend over backwards
to hire. In the past 4 years, we have hired four former students on a
permanent basis (the recent one due to funding for a new preparator
position, the others due to vacancies), and have selected maybe 5 or
6 others for student assistantships.
What singled out some from the others?
A few students/volunteers managed to "make themselves one of the staff."
Perhaps this is by virtue (?) of personality, wit, or sheer determination
of nature, I am not sure. I can only say that those that assumed a
certain level of (and this is a fine line, granted) aggressiveness and
"possessiveness" about *their* role within the staff are the ones
eventually hired. I know it is difficult to remain on top of what's going
on within a museum when one is not there on a full-time basis, but
I have indeed known a few who have somehow made it happen, and placed
themselves in a position to offer initiatives.
In some cases, I have had students who have had more suggestions and
methods for improvements and projects than those on the permanent staff!
Maybe that is a concise suggestion:
Get to know the needs/complexion of the institution, utterly. By
whatever means (oops, I'm edging on to another soapbox there!),
educate yourself so that you are in a position to *act* as an
indisposable staff member, offering solutions/approaches that the
staff may not have time to do.
One slight caution: we did have one student who took this approach to
an extreme, to the extent that she was nearly supervising the director!
In short, we have had some students and volunteers who have consistently
shown more interest and repsonibility than some staff members.
When positions open, or when references are requested, this makes
a supreme difference.
 
Barbra Brady
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